Christmas rush issue ❄️ #97

We are running two design sprints concurrently this week which mean’s it’s probably been the busiest week so far, and just before Christmas.

I’ve been wanting to try working this way for years. It took the right situation, the right projects and the right partnersto make it happen. Having it just before the year end also gives me time to consider what was good, what was bad and how we would improve next time.

We’ve also started the right way in what I call “design sprint lite.” Taking the framework, but allowing for a bit of flex that comes from transition. The method is the same, but the exercises we’ve used have differed. When we gain more experience running them, then I’ll look again at the book and pickup another exercise to try.

What I’m pleased about is that we have the ability to deliver a human-centred (and tested) high quality prototype in four days, not four months.

UX is changing. UX designers are spending less and less time at their desks and more time talking to people, whether at other people’s desks, in workshops or stood up in front of white boards—decorating it with post-it notes. Yes folks, this is work!

I’ve heard some say that next year, we’ll start seeing specialisms rise and the role of the “UX designer” become more fragmented. I’m not bothered about titles myself and I know what I enjoy, so I’ll just stick to that!

I’m big fans of The Woods Cyclery and I join them for as many of the gravel rides as I can. They’ve just updated their website with an online shop - just in time for Christmas. They’re also around over the Christmas period - an ideal place to go in, warm up with a coffee and chill with all the curated adventure bike goodies!

I’ve been following Camille’s work for years as he’s been capturing as much of the Transcontinental Race as possible. I see a lot of what I experienced when I used to film the Wiggle Super Series sportives. Lots of waiting around for that perfect shot.